This invention relates to an improvement in a machine for encasing a product to provide sausages or franks and the like and more particularly to an improvement in such a machine designed to provide capability of encasing a product with casings made of delicate material such as natural animal intestines or delicate artificial materials.
In preparing sausages, franks and other encased and linked meat products, the operation typically includes subjecting the meat emulsion to treatment in a product encasing machine wherein a meat emulsion is stuffed into either a natural casing such as an animal intestine or an artificial material of a delicate nature designed to accomplish the same purpose. After the encasing material is stuffed with meat emulsion the encased meat emulsion is subjected to a linking apparatus which is designed to impart the traditional links to the weiners, sausages or the like. Subsequently, the linked franks are looped to provide for easy movement and shipping. This invention relates to an improvement for the meat encasing machine.
Presently known product-encasing devices typically include a stuffing tube, a pump for pumping the meat emulsion through the stuffing tube, a rotary chuck in front of the stuffing tube to impart rotary motion to the casing, a linking apparatus for linking the filled casing and a looping apparatus for arranging the links in loops. The meat encasing machine operates in the following manner. The folded casing is mounted over the stuffing tube. The folded casing is compressed in accordian-like fashion and includes one unfolded end protruding beyond the discharge end of the stuffing tube. As the product issues from the discharge end of the stuffing tube it fills the portion of the casing protruding there beyond, thereby filling the casing and propelling it away from the discharge end so that additional portions of the casing will be unfolded and moved emulsion through the stuffing tubs, front of the end of the stuffing tube. Presently known devices utilize, typically, a nonrotatable stuffing tube and include a chuck surrounding the filled casings and rotating so as to impart a rotary motion to the casing. Thereafter the linking device which is positioned in front of the discharge end of the stuffing tube pinches the rotating casing at various points along its length to create a plurality of links.
Co-pending application of Townsend et al entitled APPARATUS FOR ENCASING A PRODUCT, filed Dec. 14, 1972, Ser. No. 315,100, relates broadly to an improvement in the above described product encasing machine. The disclosure of that application is hereby incorporated by reference. Generally, the product encasing machine of that invention employs a rotatable stuffing tube having a fin head mounted on its forward end. Thus, the stuffing tube and the meat emulsion therein are subjected to rotary motion. Thus the invention of that application differs from typical prior art meat encasing methods, in at least one manner, by utilizing a rotating stuffing tube and rotating meat emulsion as opposed to a stationary stuffing tube. The stuffing tube has a fin head mounted on its forward end. The fin head imparts rotational drive and longitudinal drag to the casing as the casing passes thereover during the filling of the casing. As heretofore stated this invention relates to an improvement in the fin head or stuffing horn. The fin head, which is removably attached to the discharge end of the stuffing tube, imparts rotational drive and longitudinal drag to the casing in order to give the casing an opportunity to completely fill. Thus, the fin head is an important part of the encasing machine.
The fin head must be adapted to provide secure fastening between the discharge end of the stuffing tube and the rearward end of the fin head itself. However, in addition to providing a secure means of fastening between the discharge end of the stuffing tube and the rearward end of the stuffing horn or fin head, the two terms being utilized interchangeably herein, the fin head must be easily removable from the discharge end of the stuffing tube in order to provide easy access for cleaning, changing fin heads and the like.
In addition, it would be desirable to provide a fin head for mounting on the discharge end of a stuffing tube which would provide a smooth bore extending from the discharge end of the stuffing tube through the fin head. A smooth bore is desirable because, in the absence of a smooth bore extending therethrough, the meat emulsion passing through the stuffing tube will be forced against any irregularities therein with the result being that product flow will be impeded and a general state of turbulence and drag will occur. As a result the stuffing tube will not operate as efficiently.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved fin head for mounting on the discharge end of a stuffing tube of a meat product encasing apparatus.
Another object of this invention is to provide a fin head which can be securely, but detachably mounted to the discharge end of a stuffing tube.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a fin head which, when attached to the discharge end of a stuffing tube, provides a smooth bore relationship with respect to the bore of the stuffing tube.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a fin head which can be quickly, with a minimum of difficulty, detachably and securely fastened to the discharge end of a stuffing tube.
The manner of accomplishing these and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention.